In an alarming new trend the National Institute on Drug Abuse has determined that while the majority of drug use is down, prescription drug and medicine abuse is rising and the statistics are particularly alarming for young people, 20 percent of whom have reported abusing medication.

In a town hall meeting at South Seattle Community College last week, a number of organizations and community members gathered to discuss the problem and ways that prescription drug and cough medicine abuse can be prevented.

Speakers at the town hall meeting strived to spread knowledge and awareness so that parents would include medication in conversations about drug abuse with their children. According to statistics presented, only a third of parents have discussed the risks of prescription drug use with their teenagers.

Accessibility is assumed to be a major reason why medication abuse is on the rise. There is also the common misconception that professionally manufactured drugs are safer than "street drugs" like cocaine and or heroin. In fact only 45 percent of teens believe that abusing cough medication is unsafe.

"This is an issue people should take seriously," said Mimi Pappas, director of communications and outreach for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. "The way to get drug abuse numbers to go down is to increase the perception of risk."

One major topic of discussion at the Town Hall meeting was the abuse of cough medications by young people. Presenters claimed that one in 10 adolescents age 12 to 17 years old have intentionally abused cough medication to get high.

Cough syrups and tablets such as Robitussin contain the drug dextromethorphan. When abused in large amounts common effects include slurred speech, hallucinations, panic attacks or high blood pressure.

The affects are heightened when cough medication is mixed with other drugs.

"It's not a new phenomenon, but it's certainly an alarming one," said Natalia Martinez Duncan, Communications Manager for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

Teenagers often learn about the effects of cough medication from the Internet, and even post videos of themselves abusing the medication on the popular video Web site "You Tube."

Those abusing cough medications often consume 25 to 50 times the recommended dosage to get high, but Dextromethorphan can also be extracted from the medication and consumed in its pure form. In 2005 two Whatcom County teenagers died after consuming pure Dextromethorphan that they purchased online.

Still, because the physical effects of cough medication are not as severe as other drugs, some parents are less concerned. But Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, of the University of Washington's Drug and Alcohol Institute, urges parents to take it seriously.

"It's not something to laugh off," Banta-Green said. "(If your child is abusing cough medicine) it's clearly a sign that something's wrong."

The seminar also focused on the abuse of prescription medications. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2006, 16.2 million Americans over the age of 12 had taken a prescription drug for non-medical purposes.

There are three commonly abused classes of prescription drugs including opioids such as OxyContin and Vicodin, central nervous system depressants including Valium and Xanax are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, and stimulants such as Ritalin.

Abusers have many opportunities to obtain these drugs. According to Banta-Green, about two-thirds of prescription drug abusers are getting the medications from family and friends. Few are purchasing them on the street, and those that do are usually buying other illegal "street drugs" as well.

Panelists warned parents about "pharming parties," in which young people will raid their parent's medicine cabinets and bring whatever they find to share with friends.

While users might think that these drugs are safe, frequently abused pain relieving medications include opiates, a main ingredient found in heroin. In his research Banta-Green has found that half of the deaths caused by drug overdose in King County are the result of prescription opioid ingestion.

Studies have determined that medicine abuse is especially common among females, who make up 60 percent of users. Banta-Green suggested that because medications are often safer to obtain and readily available to caretakers at home, women are more likely to seek out these drugs than others available on the street. According to the National Institute of Drug Research, women are also 55 percent more likely to be prescribed a drug that could be abused.

Washington State Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Woodinville, spoke about his goal to increase state funding for drug prevention among youth. He emphasized the importance of starting young and putting trained intervention specialists in all schools.

To prevent your children from abusing medications the panel urged the community to educate themselves on the risks, lock up their medications and talk to their children.

"Parents have so much power to help their kids make good choices," Pappas said.

Rose Egge may be contacted at 932.0300 or rosee@robinsonnews.com